Cellular phone cases

A lawsuit charging that extended portable cellular phone use led to a brain cancer death touched off a storm of public concern last week, leading one manufacturer to step forward to declare that all of its cellular products are safe.

Motorola, one of the world's largest manufacturers of wireless systems and products, moved early last week in an attempt to pre-empt what could still turn into a wave of public hysteria over the safety of portable phones.

The health issue, which has been looming in the cellular industry background for several years, was thrust into the national spotlight when David Reynard, of St. Petersburg, Fla., said on Cable News Network's Larry King Live that he believes his wife's fatal case of brain cancer was caused by her 600-milliwatt cellular phone. Reynard has filed suit against NEC, the phone's manufacturer, and GTE Mobile Communications, which provided the service.

GTE had no comment.

An NEC spokeswoman called the litigation "vague and ambiguous." She also said that the plaintiff denied NEC's requests to examine the medical data on which the charges are based. "All the evidence concludes that there's no health risk posed by these phones," she said. NEC also signaled it is not planning a simple out-of-court settlement. "Our position is that cellular phones do not cause cancer. We will stand by that, and we will prevail in due process."

Other companies also entered the fray. In a hastily-called press conference last week, Edward Staiano, president and general manager of Motorola's General Systems Sector, said all of the company's radio products meet national and international standards on user exposure to radiofrequency energy. The company also said thousands of tests over the past 40 years have yet to show a health risk from the low-watt electromagnetic radiation typical of cellular portables.

"Our confidence in the safety of our products is rooted in scientific fact," he said.

When it came to specifics, however, Motorola cited only a small number of tests, including a study still in progress. The first phase of research, conducted by W. Ross Adey, associate chief of the research department at the Jerry L. Pettis Memorial Veterans Administration Hospital in Loma Linda, Calif., found there was no abnormal cell growth after human cells in a petri dish were exposed to RF radiation at 800 MHz and 900 MHz for long periods of time.

In published reports, Adey cautioned that research was still ongoing and that it would be premature to completely rule out the carcinogenic risks of RF.

Indeed, other scientists who have studied RF energy say more research must be done. Ericsson's research has borne out Motorola's findings, according to a spokesman for Ericsson Radio Systems in Stockholm, Sweden. "For the future, you don't know what's possible," he said.

Little industry attention has been paid to the health issue. The subject is sometimes raised privately, usually in informal conversations among cellular and wireless industry people. It has yet to get a major airing at a convention or trade show.

Craig McCaw, chairman of McCaw Cellular, believes it's been a serious industry oversight. "I'm disappointed that the industry has not gotten an arm around this issue faster and better," he said. McCaw said some company personnel use up to 8000 minutes of service a month and have suffered no ill effects.

A spokesman for the Cellular Telecommunications Industry Association, which represents cellular carriers, said, "the public is being frightened needlessly."

He reiterated the volume of research on cellular safety and pointed out that no one has come forth to refute it. CTIA believes "cellular phones are safe and they don't cause cancer or any other health risk," he said.

It is unknown how the media reports will affect the short-term cellular market. Cellular stocks, including McCaw Cellular, took big hits the day following the CNN report, but were recovering early last week.

There is also confusion over which government agency would be responsible for acting, either to commission studies or to take action if adverse risk is shown. Until now, no one has taken responsibility or seems interested in investigating the matter, although this could change soon if pressure mounts from either the consumer or cellular industry side.